NC ALEC members push the “Rush to Frack” Oil and Gas Study

The following is an excerpt from the 3-page email I sent to the North Carolina DENR in response to the request for public input on the proposed plan for the Oil and Gas Study under S.L. 2011-276 (also known as the Rush to Frack act):

I also just learned that Rep. Mike Stone of Sanford co-sponsored the Oil and Gas Study under S.L. 2011-276. Rep. Stone, along with over 30 other North Carolina legislators, is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) (source, N&O, ALEC likes Tillis). While this membership is certainly above board, ALEC is known to be heavily funded by corporate interests including the the American Gas Association, which lobbies in favor of hydraulic fracturing (source, ALEC Exposed). This raises disturbing concerns about the motivation behind limiting the funding and timeline for the Oil and Gas Study.